Catherine Gildiner is quite a character. She kicks off her time at Oxford by crashing through a post office window on her bike, unable to find the “English brakes.” If you loved her first two memoirs, Too Close to the Falls and After the Falls, which recount her lively childhood in upstate New York, you’ll be thrilled to follow her adventures in Coming Ashore, as she navigates her twenties studying poetry at Oxford, teaching English in Cleveland, and beginning graduate school in Toronto where she meets her future husband.
In her latest memoir, Gildiner’s spirited escapades and witty writing style are a joy to read, and she also offers a valuable firsthand perspective on a young woman coming of age during the feminist movement of the late ’60s and early ’70s.
From the get-go, Cathy McClure Gildiner’s narrative feels familiar, reminiscent of cherished literary heroines like Anne Shirley and Jo March, blending defiance with wit. The story traces her evolution from a rebellious American girl ousted from schools and causing minor havoc, to a woman finding her place in a changing world that is slowly starting to embrace her.
Gildiner’s misadventures add humor to her tale, from her clashes with British high society’s pretentiousness to her colorful experiences in Toronto, including encounters with suspected terrorists and a drug kingpin. While some incidents may seem far-fetched, Gildiner acknowledges the fallibility of memory as she reflects on her past and the feminist movement’s impact on her life.
“Coming Ashore” paints a vivid picture of a woman and a society in flux. Gildiner’s storytelling is engaging and humorous, offering a candid and endearing glimpse into her adventures. Readers will find themselves captivated by her journey and the era she vividly portrays in this memoir.
